Three children aged 5, 8 and 11, and a teacher were killed on Thursday at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, after a 16-year-old gunman forced his way into the locked building and opened fire.
Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said the attacker, a local teenager whose name has not been released, shot through locked doors to gain entry shortly before 1 p.m. local time.
The first emergency call came from a motorist who reported being fired at near the school. Within minutes, dispatchers received several calls about a shooter inside classrooms.
Officers arrived on campus at about 1:02 p.m., roughly three minutes after the initial call. The suspect was already dead.
According to police, an armed community member saw the teenager enter the school, pursued him inside and fatally shot him, preventing further casualties. The bystander’s identity has not been released.
Two additional victims, a 7-year-old student and a 54-year-old teacher, were taken to St. Charles Medical Center in critical condition.
Investigators said the motive is unknown and it is unclear if the suspect had any link to the school. The building was placed on lockdown, evacuated and students were bussed to a family reunification point.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek said her heart was broken by the tragedy and praised the bystander for heroically intervening to stop further loss of life.
Leave a comment